After the messy Gollum game, Middle Earth fans are worried about the upcoming title. Is there a chance that Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be just as bad?
Lord of the Rings fans had been eagerly anticipating the release of Gollum. After all, good games set in Middle Earth are a great experience. However, Gollum was a miserable experience, and most reviewers agree that the game should not have been published in its state. Fans now worry that Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria might suffer a similar fate.
We know quite a bit about this game by now. But will the voice-acting of John Rhys-Davies be the only outstanding part of the game? Will the game be good, or will it follow Gollum as one of the lowest-rated Middle Earth games of all time? This article examines what we know about the game and whether or not fans should get their hopes up.
Also Read: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Review Scores
What Do We Know About Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria So Far?
What Kind of Game Is Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria?
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a survival crafting game. Gamers can explore the procedurally generated environment of Moria solo or online with up to eight companions in a co-op mode. There’s no PvP.
When Will Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Be Released?
The original release for spring 2023 has been pushed back to some time in the fall. So far, no actual date has been set in stone.
The Developer and Publisher
Free Range Games, an independent developer, is the game’s developer, while North Beach Games takes on the role of publisher. Unlike Gollum’s developer and publisher, these people have experience with the game genre they’re creating.
The Story
Lord Gimli Lockbearer, delightfully voice-acted by John Rhys-Davies himself, summons the player to the Misty Mountains. Gimli wants to restore Moria to its former glory and mine some Mithril. The game is set after the events people are familiar with from the Lord of the Rings books or movies. Gimli and his followers want to turn Moria into a home and mine again. Of course, this isn’t as easy as one might think. The game will be about the dwarfs entering the mines, and exploring the dark and scary environment, while slowly turning it into a dwarven home.
Also Read: The 10 Best MMORPGs to Play in 2023
The Presence of Famous Characters
The developer already confirmed that Gimli would be the most famous and well-known character people will encounter in the game. While Easter eggs might refer to other Tolkien characters, gamers should not get their hopes up about meeting any other famous characters from the books or movies.
Character Customisation
While gamers obviously can’t choose between races, a lot is going on in the character creation of this game. In addition to making their dwarf the way they want, gamers can choose what voice their character is talking and singing in, down to what accent they’ll use. This is supposed to give gamers the freedom to create the dwarf of their dreams. The developer knows everyone has different ideas about what dwarfs should look and sound like, so he wanted to give gamers the option to go with their ideas.
Gameplay
Crafting
The first items gamers receive in Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria are a pickaxe and a torch. This already gives you an idea about how big the role of actual mining will be in the game. In overworld survival games, you chop down trees to build stuff. In Moria, you’ll be picking away at ore to gain building materials and unearth stuff hidden behind walls or under rubble. Building a base is one of the most important parts of the game.
Exploring and Combat
The stunning and impressive environments will be procedurally generated, which has the potential for great adventures. Gamers explore the mine, and in addition to building shelter and restoring Moria, there’ll also be combat. After all, Moria isn’t empty. If you see a light in the distance and it wasn’t you who put it there, it’s time to worry. In addition to orcs, gamers will encounter cave trolls and some interesting mysteries.
Also Read: 7 Best Games Coming in the Second Half of 2023
Noise Management
As fans of the books and movies know: Noise in Moria can attract unwanted attention, so the dwarfs need to manage the noise they create. This means gamers need to put some thought into what they do, at which time and where.
Platforms
For now, the game was announced for PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. PC gamers can only buy the game on the Epic Games Store, which has already disgruntled some gamers. Once Epic Games exclusive ends, it will likely be available to be purchased via other stores.
Game Modes
Gamers can choose between playing the game like a single-player game or opting for the online co-op mode. Up to eight players can participate in a Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria session.
Is It Likely That Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Will Be as Bad as Gollum?
Good News: Better Developer and Publisher
A few things make it very unlikely that this game will be a total mess. Gollum was developed and published by Daedalic Entertainment, which fortunately has nothing to do with Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Daedalic Entertainment should have stuck to developing point-and-click adventures instead of using Middle Earth as their first attempt at a new genre.
The Team Takes This Game Seriously
You can already tell the team behind this game put much effort into it. They consulted with Tolkien experts and held book club sessions to ensure the content would not contradict the universe created by Tolkien. In addition, the team has more experience with developing great games.
Free Range Games was involved in developing Oddworld: Soulstorm, The Callisto Protocol, and Spelldrifter. Unlike Gollum’s developers, they know what they’re doing.
Great Inspiration
In addition to Tolkien’s world, the developers name games like 7 Days to Die, Stranded Deep, Subnautica, Valheim and The Forest as their inspiration for this game. Those are some big names, and if the developers manage to capture the essence of these games while creating the unique Tolkien atmosphere we’ve seen in other Middle Earth games, they’re on to a winner.
Conclusion
Things would have to go terribly wrong for this game to be as much of a mess as Gollum. The game’s release date has been pushed back a few times as the team didn’t want to rush their work. The gameplay we could see so far looks very promising and smooth, so there’s hope that this new game set in Moria will be the great experience fans are yearning for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are There So Many New Lord of the Rings Games All of a Sudden?
Quite a few Tolkien-inspired games will be released in the remainder of 2023 and 2024. You’re not alone if you’re wondering why there are so many announcements. The answer is simple: Money. The Swedish conglomerate Embracer Group recently bought the new adaptation rights. While the new rights holder lets others develop the games, they’ll receive a chunk of cash in royalties.
Which Is the Best Lord of the Rings Game So Far?
In 2023, gamers can choose between over two dozen games set in Middle Earth. Some are better than others. The MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online and the hack-and-slash game: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King are the two most popular ones.
Do You Need to Know the Books to Enjoy Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria?
No. It helps to understand the background story better, but the game is set in a time after the events people know from the books or movies. It’s a standalone game that will also appeal to fans of survival games who never touched a Tolkien book or movie.
Author Profile
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Name: Kim Anisi
Intro: Gaming has been my passion since childhood. The journey started when I received hand-me-down games on Atari and Amiga systems from my brother and I now mainly play games on PC. Among the vast genres in the gaming world that I have tried, my personal favourites are RPGs, MMORPGs, (Action) adventures, horror games, and settlement/city builders. Overcoming the challenges and helping others in games provide a great satisfaction to me.
